Monday, October 09, 2006

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

by Michael ChabonFor anyone who daydreams about the larger-than-life characters and locations in 1930s - 1950s New York City, Kavalier & Clay is like a candy store. The World's Fair is here, as well as Salvador Dali, Raymond Scott, the Empire State Building, the Golem, Houdini, Antarctica, the Nazis, and, of course, the golden age of comic books. What makes the book greater than the self-indulgent pulp it could've been? Sam Klayman and Joe Kavalier, the cousins at the heart of the story. It's a story about escape, in all its forms - and sometimes, the futility of escape. As amazing as their adventures are, Sam and Joe live in the real world, and that's what makes the book as beautiful as it is exciting